Slow death of international cricket

Ok here is my rant for the evening!

This has already been partly discussed in a thread, but I wanted to post a topic devoted to something that worries me..

Another pointless limited overs tourney has come to an end. This time, there was no prize money, no result and no point... A few people have had their averages inflated against a Bangladesh side who can barely play Aussie grade cricket...My point is, there is too much cricket, both tests and ODI's ..

Wasn't cricket more special when you had to wait in expectation for the start of the new season, or a winter tour? Im sure the players felt more hyped up so they played better... I suspect many a career has already been cut short by burnout, there is just too much cricket at the moment.... Not only was cricket more special, but I can also remeber waiting for a series like Englands last tour of the West Indies, when much less meaningless cricket was being played, so I enjoyed it more...

There is a lot of good cricket at the moment, but because it is always happening, it isnt special any more....

Im only 16, and im looking back..Either i must be acting very old, or this has been a sudden and alarming change in the game. The ICC better sort it out, before we see a second string aussie side take on Bangladesh in Darwin, or fine players being snuffed out of cricket by burn-out...

Originally Posted by vic_orthdox

Don't like using my iPod dock. Ruins battery life too much.

Originally Posted by benchmark00

Thanks Dick Smith. Will remember to subscribe to your newsletter for more electronic fun facts.

Well I don't agree with you. There guys are professionals and it is a job to them. If they are feeling burnt out then they can say."I don't want to go on this tour". Then that gives the second line of players the chance to impress.

This gives more competition because If the 'replacement' player, plays well then the original player may not have an easy ride to get his place back.

Shane Bond is the perfect example here. He was called over to replace (I think it was Dion Nash) Because of injury and then one month later he was player of the VB series.

I think it would be great to see a second string team from AUS or another top country playing cricket against Bang , Holland. Make them work hard and only get to play the top guys when they are finally wining against some of these guy.

At one time cricket was a "gentleman's game" - today it is a "proffessional sport".

True that the burnout and overworking takes many valuable players' careers, but it's all part of playing proffessional sport at the highest level. There isn't a level greater than what these guys play...

But true that, unlike some other sports that have their own "season" cricket is a round-the-year sport, which makes it a little more demanding on the players, their family lives and their fitness.

Its always been like this for the past 6-7 years. This is crickets least competitive period ever. No other team holds a candle to Australia, and im getting a little tired of seeing one sided garbage on display on the television.

Hell I rather watch Snooker on TV. For once I would like to see Australia be beaten, or be close to beaten.

After VVS Laxman's 281, or Mark Butchers 173 I have not seen this happen often enough!!!!

I appreciate what Australia have done for cricket, but its getting too predictably one sided now.

You can only beat who's in front of you, master. And to be fair, it's not been that other teams have played badly against Australia. It's just that Australia have been that much better and haven't allowed the other team to play well. I mean, sure there are the occasional good performances against them by individual players but the self-belief is so much that even if one batsman scores a hundred, they back themselves to beat the rest to roll the team for a low total. Usually it works too.

And let's face it, it's not as if the Aussies are grinding teams into the dust; they're doing it by not allowing their scoring rate to get below 3.5 an over and frequently score at 4+ per over in Tests. So they're doing the job in an attractive manner and other teams aren't reacting well to it.

In fact, it's more the defeatist attitudes of opposition teams against Australia which might be killing international cricket. Everyone always sympathises with the losers but when other teams just throw in the towel, what are Australia expected to do?

Its just that Australia have been always that much better than the opposition. They are so professional, they do not leave any stone unturned, and they must really have a lot of desire within, because a lot of other teams get complacent.

As a cricket fan, I just want to see some good even contests, but I suppose its the other teams responsibility to play to the best of their ability and to not have this defeatist attitude.

Australia in the 21st century or the West Indies in the 70's/80's, I now firmly believe, Australia pips them in terms of fitness, desire, hunger and professionalism.

I wish that the rest of the cricketing world would wake up, and take these guys as their role models. India have already started to do so with the help of John Wright, which is great news, but if they can beat Australia down under in December, it will take some doing.

Believe me, I want some good contests too but I sure enjoy watching Gilchrist bat or McGrath bowl etc. If a mediocre team just does well because the other team isn't good enough to challenge them, that's boring. But if a team is going all out and winning, I can live with that.

It was almost the same with the Windies in the 70s and 80s. Their batsmen were unstoppable, except for a few legendary cases.

Then in the 80s and 90s teams raised their standards and they were all equal again - relatively.

Now the Aussies have climbed the ladder some more - it's time the rest of the world climb, rather than ask the Aussies to descend.

They are so professional, they do not leave any stone unturned, and they must really have a lot of desire within, because a lot of other teams get complacent.

This is professional cricket that we're talking about.

I remember when we played cricket in our backyard, back in India, one could only bowl so fast. When a searing delivery ripped through the air and blasted the chair behind you, the only thing that would be said was - "Too fast. Re-Ball." You only could get so good and after that you had to stop or you couldn't play.
It isn't like that in the International arena, if you get better, it's time the opposition match up.

But I personally think the bulk of Aussie class will be gone after the next world cup...whether or not they take that too.

I don't think Australia's winning run is having a bad effect on cricket at all.If at all, it will help improve cricket all around the world. Also it has not yet reached the proportions of the dominance that West Indies had for well around 12 years. Australia is still a good 5-6 years away from emulating the same and I am sure the other countries will catch up with them.

And Australia has one place where they get beaten...send them to India That was not true for the West Indies of the eighties.

Wasn't it only one and a half years ago that AUS failed to make the finals in the VB series. You hardly can call that unbeatable.

I believe that AUS are beatable. All the team fear them though. You have to treat them equal to yourself. NZ are good at that. I believe that if Aus played NZ in 10 ODI's tommorrow they would only win about 6.

They are the bench mark and they are great cricketers. They have a great acadamy and system. They put alot of time and money into that sport. They are better than everyone at the moment but they are still NOT unbeatable.

It is great for international cricket to have a great team. It just makes it more special when someone beats them. Just think of all those team who have been through a bad patch. They do come out of it. AUS will come out of their good patch.

Yes, the other teams just have not been able to follow them to those heights. At one time, it seemed that SA would reach there, but that illusion was destroyed soon. Pity, if there were a couple of more teams in those rarified atmospheres, the level and quality of cricket could get really heady....!

I think there is a solution to this, we need to have a Number 1 team vs the best of the rest series every 2nd year...

So Australia at the moment Australia (or SA as it currently stands) would play against the best from all other nations, This would make an enthrawlling series... would get interest from all countries coz most sides would have a player contribution...

If this happened every 2nd year it would bring a bit of life back i think...